Self-acting mule for spinning.



1. IROWBOTHAM.

SELF ACTING MULE FOR SPINNING.

APPLICATION FILED MAY5.1914.

1,146,450. Patented July 13, 1915.

5'. FFTOFZ.

JOHN ROWBOTHAIVI, or HYDE, ENGLAND.

SELF-ACTING MULE FOR SPINNING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed May 5, 1914. Serial No. 836,488.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ROWBO'BHAM, subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and resident of Hyde, in the county of Chester, England, selfacting minder, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or in Connection with Self- Acting Mules for Spinning, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in or in connection with self-acting mules for spinning cotton, wool and other similar fibers, the object being to provide an improved front carriage stop for arresting'the motion of the mule carriage when the latter reaches the end of its outward and inward run, the improved arrangement having for its further object the prevention of accidents occurring in the mule-gate due to the minders or piecers getting between the carriage and the ordinary forms of stop usually employed.

My invention will be fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a transverse section of a mule carriage showing the application of my invention thereto, Fig. 2 plan of same, Figs. 3 and 4 similar views of a modified arrangement of the device, Fig. 5 transverse section of the mule carriage to an enlarged scale showing a further modification.

My invention consists in the various devices hereinafter referred to more particu larly in combination or in conjunction with each other. 1

Referring to the drawings 1 fix in suitable positions on the main body of the mule carriage a a pair of angle brackets b. The brackets are bolted to the front and back of the carriage body so as to project below the latter to the required extent, the inner arms of the brackets being secured together by bolts 0, setscrews or the like, the arrangement allowing of the same size of brackets being employed for any variation in width of the mule carriage. The front bracket of each pair has secured to it an adjustable stop formed of a screw (Z with a head 6 at the front end and a lock nut at each side of the bracket 6 for adjustment purposes. Each of the brackets b may be provided with a hole through which is passed and afterward secured the ends of a guard band or rope 7. Or the ends of the rope may be secured directly to the carriage body so as carriage I prefer to form it into a looped band stretching for the full length or substantially so of the traverse of the mule carriage. When the ends of the rope are attached to the mule to do it by securing them to ordinary rack wheels 9 provided with the usual barrels around which the ropes may be wound, the rack wheels being turned around to help in tightening the rope while pawls are employed to keep the wheels in the adjusted positions. The rack wheel barrels are mounted in a bracket 72. secured to the mule carriage. The loop at each end of the rope is passed around a pulley z mounted in a bracket j fixed astoone behind the roller beam and as to the other at a point corresponding with the finish of the outward run of the mule carriage. Both brackets are fixed to the floor by screws k. The stop cl on the mule carriage a comes in contact with the front pulley bracket and so arrests the motion of the carriage. The pulleys a may be provided with suitable guards, particularly the front ones. The ropes f passing over the pulleys are arranged directly above and below the adjustable stops cZ, so acting as a guard to anyone walking along the mulegate and preventing their getting between the stops and the pulley brackets 7'.

Instead of employing ropes such as referred to in Figs. 1 and 2 I may pass through the two holes m in the carriage brackets Z), as in Figs. 3 and 4 a long rod 'n, the ends of which are secured to brackets 7' corresponding to or used in place of those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, such rod extending above the stop (Z. A second rod 0 is fixed a little below the latter, both rods acting as a guard for the purposes referred to. An important feature of my invention is to bend the rod or upwardly at the ends so as to form inclined portions 9. On the carriage a I fix brackets 7' tapped to receive adjusting screws 8 with their heads downward, such screws being provided with locknuts t. The screws may be adjusted so that each of them may engage with one of the inclined portions of the rod n at each end of the outward and inward traverse of the mule carriage, the engagement of the parts assisting in arresting the motion of the carriage and so preventing injurious banging.

The devices described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 may be used in conjunction with those shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The arrangement of the adjustable devices shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may be modified as shown in Fig. 5, the screws 8 carrying at their lower end forked shaped heads u adapted to carry pulleys or rollers o to bear on the rod n at their inclined portions q as shown in Fig. 3. The screws 8 may be tapped into the brackets 1' as before or may be free in which case the nuts 6 merely act for adjustment and not locking purposes. In such a case also springs w may be arranged on the screws 8 to give an elastic pressure when the inclined portions 1 are reached.

That I claim is:

1. The combination, with a stationary support, two brackets secured to the support, and an upper horizontal rod having upwardly inclined end portions which are secured to the said brackets; of a straight lower rod secured between the said brackets, a mule carriage, brackets secured to the mule carriage and having holes which slide over the upper rod, and stops secured to the mule carriage and adapted to come in contact with the inclined portions of the upper rod to arrest the motion of the mule carriage at the ends of its travel.

2. The combination, with a stationary support, two brackets secured to the support, and an upper horizontal rod having upwardly inclined end portions which are secured to the said brackets; of a straight lower rod secured between the said brackets, a mule carriage, brackets secured to the mule carriage and having holes which slide over the upper rod, lugs secured to the mule carriage, vertically slidable stems carried by the saidlugs, stop rollers carried by the said stems and adapted to come in contact with the inclined portions of the upper rod to arrest the motion of the mule carriage at the ends of its travel, and springs which press the said stems and stop rollers downwardly toward the upper rod.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN ROWBOTHAM. lVitnesses:

ERNALD SIMPSON MOSELEY, MALCOLM SMETHURST.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

